Police arrest seven suspects in Maulana Idrees killing case

PESHAWAR: Police have made significant progress in the targeted killing case of prominent religious scholar Maulana Muhammad Idrees in Charsadda, arresting seven suspects and expanding forensic and surveillance-based investigations, officials said on Friday.

Maulana Idrees, a senior cleric affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, was shot dead on May 5 when unidentified gunmen opened fire on his vehicle while he was travelling to a madrassa.

Two police guards accompanying him were also injured in the attack.

Investigative officials said that the arrested suspects were taken into custody from different areas of the Mardan region, adding that interrogation was under way from multiple angles.

Authorities said that geo-fencing of mobile data from Charsadda, Nowshera and surrounding areas was in progress as part of efforts to map movements linked to the attack.

Officials said that they are also reviewing CCTV footage and a video showing the suspected assailant fleeing the scene.

The attacker was seen travelling on a motorcycle and moving through different areas of Peshawar, including Chamkani and Kohat Road, before reaching Charsadda via a service road, investigators said.

The suspect reportedly arrived in Charsadda at around 5:30 am on the day of the attack, according to preliminary findings.

Security officials said that the investigation is being carried out with the assistance of the Safe City project team and other specialised units.

Police have also intensified efforts to verify digital and surveillance evidence as part of the probe into what officials described as a planned targeted killing.

Maulana Idrees was a well-known religious figure in the region and had previously served as a provincial lawmaker.

His killing triggered protests by seminary students and supporters of the JUI-F in several parts of Charsadda, demanding swift arrests and a transparent investigation.

Following the attack, security forces launched search operations in the district and tightened security across sensitive locations.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the killing.